A War on Your Doorstep
by FlashFiction
Summary: It's the last night of term and Poppy Pomfrey just wants a quiet, peaceful night. But Sirius Black, as usual, has other ideas.


**Author's Note: **I wrote this story because Poppy/Sirius (or Ripop as some people know them) is my guilty pleasure pairing. They shouldn't really work but they do and in my opinion there needs to be more stories about them out there.

The light of the moon broke through the clear glass windows of the hospital wing, leaving pale, shimmering streaks across the stone floor and draped over the metal skeletons of the beds. Poppy Pomfrey surveyed the strange shapes cast by the lunar glow and sigh a sigh of contentment. The room was empty, apart from herself, and, given that it was the last day of term, that was how it should've been. All the students were healthy and well, up in their dormitories after the end of term feast or, in the case, she was sure, of some seventh years, sneaking around the castle making the most of their last night as a Hogwarts student. Poppy had just departed from the staff room, leaving Minerva to worry on her own about what was going to happen tonight.

"I have no idea how I'm going to keep all of them in check," she had said, "Even the best students can get a little carried away on the last night."

"So don't try," Rolanda Hooch shrugged and Poppy had agreed with her, "The good ones won't be causing much trouble anyway and you'll never be able to stop the real rule breakers, so don't bother. Let them have their fun and go to bed early."

Poppy was heeding her advice, even if Minerva wasn't, and had returned to her quarters. She walked into her little room, just off the side of the hospital wing, and unbuttoned the velvet red dress coat she wore for the feast, slinging it over her bed. Reaching a hand up, she felt around the base of the bun she had twisted her greying-blonde hair into. Well, she thought with a sigh as she tucked away some loose strands, it was more like blonding-grey hair now. It had been quite some years since anyone could describe her as fully blonde. But that was life and Poppy Pomfrey had learnt to live with it.

She went over to a cupboard and retrieved an unopened bottle of Firewhisky and a glass. Then, going back out into the wing, she placed them down on a table and began to push at one of the hospital beds. When she finished, the bed had been spun around completely and faced the large glass windows at the end of the room, looking out over the lake, the grounds and the stars. Unscrewing the cap and filling half the glass with the bottle, Poppy then lay down on the bed, her head resting against the cool metal bars that crowned the end, the red dress of her uniform fanning out over the crisply made white sheets. Taking a sip of the burnt amber liquid, she gazed out the lake, which was blackened by the night but polished by stray pockets of moonlight, particularly in the centre where no rocks or trees could stretch out their shadows to mar the glassy surface. Beyond the lake, there were mountains, stretching up to a cloudless, star speckled sky, promises of distant lands stacked along the horizon. Looking out at the great expanse, Poppy felt small, dwarfed by the creations of nature, but at the same time she felt safe, sheltered by the sturdy mountains, protected by the steady lapping of the lake, guided by the tiny pinpricks of light that were in fact gigantic, swirling stars, holding up the sky a million miles away. It was peaceful and rhythmical and, for the first time all year, Poppy allowed herself to get caught up in the peace.

The peace, however, did not last for long, for into the hospital wing walked Sirius Black, his black curls ruffled, his grey eyes gleaming. He was wearing a black suit over the top of a white shirt, which had the top button undone. Pulled haphazardly over his neck, sticking out at an odd angle, was his Gryffindor tie. Upon hearing his footsteps, Poppy stuck her head up and, upon seeing who it was, let out a groan. All she had wanted was a quiet lie down and if anything knew how to ruin things that involved the adjective 'quiet' it was Sirius Black. He waltzed up and practically jumped on the bed next to her.

"I see you've already got the Firewhisky out for my arrival," he said, giving her a wink.

"There's only one glass," Poppy replied flatly, moving over slightly and sitting up, staring at him disapprovingly.

"Well, lucky I don't mind sharing," Sirius grinned.

He slipped the glass from her fingers and drained what was left, before holding it out for a top up. Poppy ignored him, folding her arms across her chest.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly.

"Hm?" Sirius said, snapping back to attention.

He had been attempting to grab the Firewhisky bottle that sat on the table, on the other side of Poppy, and had not heard her question.

"Are you ill?" she inquired.

"No."

"Injured?"

"No."

"In need of medicine?"

"No."

"Then piss off."

Sirius retracted his hand from the liquor bottle and stared at her. Then, in what was blatantly mocking, he sat up and mirrored her, crossing his arms and putting on an exaggerated angry expression. Poppy just stared him out.

"Come on," Sirius exclaimed, pouring out some more whisky and offering it to her, "it's my last night in the castle. We're supposed to be celebrating."

"Your departure is something I'll make sure to toast," Poppy said, taking the glass somewhat begrudgingly.

"Why, that's the coldest thing you've ever said to me," Sirius said, though he was smiling.

Poppy, rather grumpily, took a gulp of her drink. Sirius Black was not something that worked well for her, not helped by the fact that he seemed to spend half his life in her hospital. When he and his friends weren't being treated for various injuries sustained during harebrained schemes, his was busy being a singular annoyance, coming in, flirting, knocking things over and being generally inappropriate. And he did it all with his devil-may-care attitude and his bewitching smile. It was infuriating. The real problem was that Poppy found him genuinely funny most of the time, not that she'd ever admit that to Minerva, who had had to deal with the aftermath of most of his pranks over the years. She found him genuinely interesting too, something that had strengthened, for one reason or another, as he had gotten older. But he was still a student, she reminded herself, and still infuriating!

"Shouldn't you be at some kind of party?" Poppy muttered quietly.

"I was," Sirius shrugged, "but I decided to take a tour of the castle, to see all the things I'm going to miss most when I'm gone."

He moved a bit closer. Poppy let out a low laugh and placed one finger on his chest, stopping him from coming any further.

"How many doe-eyed sixth year girls have fallen for that one tonight?" she asked.

"You'd be surprised actually," Sirius grinned, undeterred.

"I highly doubt that," Poppy said.

She rolled off the bed and replaced the cap on the Firewhisky, getting ready to leave him. Sirius swung his legs around and stood up, placing his palm flat on top of the bottle, stopping Poppy from picking it up.

"I was joking. Why are you so set against me?" he said, his tone serious for the first time since he had entered.

Poppy sighed; she shouldn't have to be answering that question. But she was going to, she knew it before she even opened her mouth.

"You're a kid, Black," she snapped, "And I'm old enough to be your mother. Hell, I probably went to school with her!"

And she wrenched the bottle out from underneath his hand, causing him to stumble.

"I don't care. And I'm an adult!" he shot back, following her as she walked away, "I'm eighteen, I'm emancipated, I have money, I-"

"- can't sit still for more than six minutes?" Poppy interjected, "You're still a student."

"For one night only," Sirius said, blocking her path to her room, his arms spread out wide, "then I'm a free agent."

"Regardless," Poppy said, her tone hard and her eyes cold, "I'm under contract. And I'd like to stay that way."

"I'll come back tomorrow?" Sirius suggested.

"For Christ's sake," Poppy yelled, "leave me alone."

It wasn't fair. He wasn't fair. Why could he not get it through his thick skull? What would be a simple, one off tryst for him, would lose her the career she'd worked so hard for, the livelihood she'd come to depend on and the respect of her friends and colleagues that she valued so much. He would swan off, out those great doors for the last time, never to return and she would have to live with being just another one of Sirius Black's conquests, guilty, alone and far too old. It wasn't going to happen.

"Go away," she whispered hoarsely, trying to keep the bitterness from her voice.

Sirius didn't move.

"There's a war waiting for me," he said softly, as if it would change her mind.

"Specifically for you?" Poppy said sarcastically, side stepping him "How tragic."

"This is serious, Poppy," the young man said somberly.

"But you're not, Sirius," Poppy shouted, spinning around to face him, "You never are, that's the point. I've moved past one night stands and you're probably here for a joke, or a bet or a challenge or something, as opposed to looking for actual companionship."

When he didn't answer, Poppy knew it was something of kind. It hurt her, more than trying to resist him ever had, knowing that his insistence was merely for his own gain and had nothing to do with her merits. She shook her head, barely able to look at him.

"Wow, thank you, Sirius," she said, her voice raw, "you really know how to make a girl feel good about herself."

And she stormed into her room, slamming the door behind her.

She had curled up on her bed, her arms around her knees, her head leaning back against the wall, when Sirius pushed the door open. His expression was angry and annoyed, not a look Poppy associated with him. Though she tried to keep her eyes from him, she couldn't help but think he looked more grown up now than he ever had.

"Are you going to let me explain?" Sirius asked, "Or do you always jump to conclusions like that?"

"What could you possibly say that would make this situation any better?"

Sirius sat next to her on the bed, not close as he had done before, keeping a respectful distance. He played with his hands as he stared at the floor, all his flirtatious pretense gone.

"Some idiot asked if I thought I could get you," he said quietly, as if he was ashamed to say it.

Poppy let out a sharp breath, insulted that any student would have the nerve to say something of that nature. All she had ever tried to be was professional.

"I bet against myself," Sirius explained, "I said I wouldn't be able to do it. You have too much self-respect."

Poppy stared at him, a tiny smile dancing across her face.

"And then I hit him," Sirius admitted.

Poppy laughed, though it wasn't whole heartedly. She was tired, too tired to play these games. She was sad too, only a little bit. She was sad that another year was over and that another round of students were going to be leaving. Perhaps she was sadder than usual because Sirius was among those students; there'd be no one around to make her feel like she was still interesting. Maybe she was sadder than usual because, had it been a different place, time or circumstance, he would've lost that bet. With a rising wave of affection, she smiled at him.

"You're going to win a bet tonight, Black," she said.

"I know," Sirius replied, "I wish I wasn't."

Poppy sighed.

"I'll never understand your infatuation with older women."

"It's you," Sirius said, shuffling around to face her, "It's only you."

Poppy felt herself blush.

"I can't say I understand that either."

The expression on Sirius's face when he answered her made her uncomfortable and also filled her with happiness.

"I don't fully understand it myself," he whispered, "but if you were sitting where I am right now, maybe you'd be able to see why."

"That's completely inappropriate," Poppy said, trying to hide a smile.

"Yeah, well," Sirius shrugged, "I came in here outrightly asking you to sleep with me. I'm fairly sure we've already clearly established I have no concept of what's appropriate."

Poppy laughed, a musical, warm sound and Sirius grinned, before joining in.

"I love it at Hogwarts," he said, when Poppy had managed to stop herself, "but this was always my favourite place."

"Where?" Poppy teased, "In my bed?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Don't tempt me," he said, "It's just been so reassuring, knowing I can come here and I'll be welcomed, accepted. I'm safe."

The sincerity in the last two words made Poppy understand; he was scared. Sirius Black, the unshakeable, the irrepressible, was scared. It was almost funny. She started to laugh again, moving forward and wrapping him in a hug.

"Darling, darling, darling," she cooed, as he reciprocated her hug, clearly taken aback.

She let him go and then placed a hand on his cheek. His big eyes stared at her, confused.

"Darling," Poppy said, "I know the next move is scary and I know there's a war on your doorstep, but it won't always be there, please believe me. There's a world out there, my sweetheart, and it was made for you. There are places to go, things to see and ideas to change you. There are friends to make, mountains to climb and rain to dance in. There are a million stupid, pretty girls waiting for you to break their hearts and a few, rare, golden ones who are going to break yours. Life is wonderful, my darling, just wonderful. Please go and live it."

Sirius looked at her, at a loss for words. Then, without saying anything, he placed his hand on her neck and kissed her.

"Every man who walks past you is an idiot," he said when he pulled away.

"You'll be that glad you did," Poppy advised kindly.

"I highly doubt that," Sirius smiled, standing up, "but for you, Princess, I'll try."

"Don't call me Princess."

"You could learn to like it."

"Don't."

Sirius went over to the door, lingering a little as he got to the frame. He leant his head against it and gazed at her again.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Probably not," Poppy replied honestly.

"Oh well," he whispered, "Then I guess I'm just going to have to go out and find this wonderful life that you're promising me all on my own."

He exited, but popped his around a few seconds later.

"One day I'll be back," he continued, "after living my amazing life, and I'll convince you to join me. I'll walk through those doors and you won't even recognize me, you'll be so swept away."

Poppy smiled.

"Go."

"I'll be back," Sirius said, a glowing grin spread across his face, "I'll be back before you know it, you beautiful, wonderful, rare, golden girl."


End file.
